Sins of Man
by Mesuen
Summary: They do not have a reason to exist, but they have a will to exist. In a world where emotions can save your life or end it, Remnant now faces a truckload of new problems. At least Headmaster Ozpin finds himself with a retinue of new allies to assist in delaying in his inevitable defeat. But what do they cost to keep around? Sanity, Salvation, and Solidarity? A headache for sure.
1. Prologue 1

With the growth of humanity, it only makes sense that new things are discovered. The pains in the back will never cease, the will to live will continue to dim and brighten, and the flowing hairs will continue to gray, however. Despite all of these constants, there will always be new things to experience, for each soul is unique. Despite all of these woes, there will always be a fleck of hope underneath that ugly and scarred hide.

With a weak heart, humans can easily crumble from the slightest nudge, much like the stained glass in a church, they are but fragile stories to be written and read. Yet only the dawn will consecrate those that stumble about in the darkness…

_I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet._

"And so, despite the King of Vale personally leading the Vacuo defensive from the Mantlean and Mistralian joint invasion, the sheer amount of emotion, caused by the advent of total war underneath of the wastes of Vacuo, not only incited the massive insurgency of Grimm, but the perfect distraction to lead to something wonderful." A thin professor with sad eyes gestures to the board with his pointer stick, specifically towards a map of the Vacuo campaign.

"As it is common knowledge with you students of Atlas academy, concentrated negative emotions never lead to anything good, and yet, on this day, it led to something wonderful. Can anyone guess what it is? You there, how about you?"

"The irregular storms, combined with the sheer amount of grimm and emotion sparked a massive catalyst that blew apart the left wing of the Valean army!" A young, aspiring, princess of white exclaims.  
"Correct! While many look to the King of Vale's death on the field as the most important event to have ended the War To End All Wars, these same people tend to forget what exactly led to this consequence. The Mantle Army had much safer, and more streamlined equipment and proper use of dust in their bolt-action weaponry and artillery. The Royal Army of Vale, on the other hand, had underwent an exponential and unsafe plan of technological innovation! Despite the hazards of their mechanization, the Valean High Command insisted on the deployment of the world's first armoured division, which was struck by the fierce storms amidst the battle!"

The professor picks up his scroll, and begins to fiddle around with the lights in a soft playful manner, "Imagine how the Valean forces must have felt when their spearhead was abruptly shocked and disabled in the middle of a Grimm incursion! Morale shatters, people ran, and the King of Vale could not keep the defense steady and fell soon after the battle resumed. Alas, it was a necessary tragedy for the furthering of Humanity and Faunuskind."

The teacher continues his lecture on history, returning back to the Great War, and explaining how the King of Vale's death shattered the alliance as the regency council came into power and the series of events leading to the signing for peace on the island of Vytal. Yet he refrained from noting how the education system in Vacuo flipped from being egalitarian and individualist to supporting authoritarian ethics after the peace was signed.

_Yet no matter how much we learn, we must never know the truth._

"Hello, Headmaster. Welcome to Beacon Academy I am Angela, your advisor and secretary. Even though I am an AI, feel free to talk to me." A pale doll-like woman, with the hair of the morning sky, and a simple white lab coat over a black suit and red tie, speaks. "I know what you're thinking, I look too human to be an AI, right? But there is a big difference, between you and I. I am bound here. I can fend off Grimm who enter these tunnels, open any door at any place, even prepare a cup of coffee for you. But despite all of this, I cannot go outside, and enjoy the sun or feel the wind atop the harrowing cliff of Beacon." With a soft smile, the AI named Angela never opens her eyes, yet she stares back nonetheless, for the gaze without contact is the most uncanny of all.

"Oh you're new. I digress, thank you, Angela. Maybe one day, we can get you to enjoy the world as I know it. Though I can't quite understand what you mean by AI, indulge me." The Headmaster of Beacon responds automatically, as if he had already asked this. His spectacles of sight are pushed back up from the tip of his nose, as he is guided about the recently refurbished principal office. The Headmaster is new. A child prodigy with brilliant and experienced eyes. His time as a huntsman has earned him renown and fame; when the previous Headmaster died from an illness, it was no doubt who would replace him.

"Beacon is aptly named, as I'm sure you know. Its students and teachers research the latest innovations that outpace even Atlas, and produce the finest of Huntsmen. Naturally, technology surpasses even its creators in the culmination of Artificial Intelligence, that is, Me." Angela answers sweetly, but the half-hearted tone faded as quickly as it came as the AI returns to her introduction. "Enough for the introduction. Do you have anything you would like to know?"

The new Headmaster digests the information before returning to the reason he is here in the first place. "Yes, Angela. Please enlighten me on the current student body, I would like to know just who the previous Headmaster's policies have allowed in."  
"Of course, Headmaster. The current training protocols in place by the Sephiroth have allowed for a student body of 2,767. With the current policies active, this number is projected to increase twofold. With the five year plan proposed to expand the campus to 285 acres, the intake will not be a problem from any prediction." The expressionless smile of Angela never falters as she warmly gives off continued reports to the man who rests in his office chair, steepled hands put against his lips as he takes in the information.

Minutes pass as the new Headmaster asks a new question or request for more reports, dossiers for staff, and budgeting, it did not take long for him to politely make use of the AI, asking her for a cup of coffee. "Of course, you will find your coffee has already been brewed, it is your favourite blend as well." Angela smiles as she moves from small table with mugs and pot of coffee she returns with a fresh cup of coffee, much to the Headmaster's widened eyes.

"I suppose having a superior mind of thought has its uses, Angela." The Headmaster, he sniffs the coffee before taking a sip of the near-boiling black stuff. "Vacuan mountain blend. You were correct."

"You will find I will very rarely be proven wrong, Headmaster."

"Of course, but now let us return to the matter at hand. This previous Headmaster, does he not know what he means to do by increasing the intake of students yearly? I come back after one crucial mistake and it has been all botched. The budget is already stressed enough upholding the research facilities. We should not expend any further on the expansion of the campus. Emerald Forest may be much safer than it has been in the last year, but that does not allow for complacent excavations. Put these plans on hold, while I prepare new ones. You will help me as well, Angela."

"Of course, Headmaster. You know you have joined the Academy of Beacon at an opportune moment," the mild-mannered lady, with a beautiful voice, pauses to take her own seat in a chair next to the Headmaster's own, "There has been a new update, for a lack of a better term, in how things work around here. That means the working conditions have been improved than your predecessors. Consider it my welcome gift."

There was a slight pause, as Angela merely watches the Headmaster begin opening various files, logs, and accounts. "You must not understand the concept of patience, do you?"

"Life is like ice-cream, Angela. You must enjoy it while it lasts, I hope to make an impact before the end of this particular life."

"I see. Headmaster, I believe you should meet the other AIs, they are in charge of the teaching staff and the various departments here. If I am the cerebrum, they are the cerebellum."  
"The previous Headmaster made more AIs?" the new Headmaster asks in faux-interest. As if he had already known the answer, he continues to browse more and more of the reports he left behind.

"Of course, Beacon Academy is the pinnacle of Remnant, I may be your most trusted AI, but I am also in charge of the vast network of what goes on in this academy. When you are gone, I will remain, after all. Each AI is referred to as a Sephirah, and they form the Sephiroth. While you control the school, and I as your assistant and partner, the Sephiroth are my subordinates. Shall we meet them?"

"Very well, plenty of things may have changed since I was last here, after all."

The tunnels of Beacon were long, winding, and confusing. Where there was once only one elevator that is capable of taking you to where you are not supposed to, now there are innumerable elevators to compensate for the sheer scale of the labyrinth of offices, cells, and generators. Each district itself holds a department, something the Headmaster had spent years ensuring they all fit together cohesively like a puzzle.

Even with Angela leading the Headmaster, the man found himself lost in the confusing halls. Built like a maze, the Headmaster would have been lost had it not been for Angela. He could only contemplate just how much has changed in only a decade of preparations to return. His face hardens as they enter a steampunk office, massive with various windows and holographic screens.

Before him, seated at a meeting desk is a small cadre of similarly pale people, only four. He figured they were the mentioned AI, but like Angela they could easily be passed off as normal humans. He notes their plain black suits and ties, with color-coded armbands for identification.

"Let's keep this brief. We have no time for eccentricities. The Headmaster needs to be settled in by the end of the month, before the semester starts." Angela quips quickly, to the nodding of the people. They file up, and form a line towards the Headmaster and Angela.

"Headmaster. These AI are known as Sephirah. As a whole, they are the Sephiroth. Each Sephira is specifically designed to handle the various departments that do not directly relate to the education of the students above."  
She gestures to the first one, a shorter woman. Neck-length brunette hair that seems to fade into a sunshine yellow at the tips; she wears a red hairband to match her red tie and armband. Contrasting her unique hair, her eyes are but a mundane brown. The Headmaster notes that she hides a pen and a clipboard behind her back that look almost abused with how much has been scribbled onto it. "This is Malkuth. Sephirah of the Control Department." Angela states.

"Hello Headmaster! I apologize for the dirtiness of the office, I had little time to prepare but that is no excuse!" She gestures to what, by the Headmaster's standards, is clean office. He could not discern neither speck nor clutter, but he is interrupted once more. "Forgive me. I will work harder for your approval!" Malkuth smiles cheerfully with a furrowed brow, challenging herself. After a quick nod of the head, the Control Sephirah returns to her seat.

The next one. A much taller man with short combed purple hair and purple hair. His secondary colours: tie and armband, are purple as well. Unlike the blissful cheer in the last one, the Headmaster notes the familiar cold calculating stare he often catches himself using. Unlike the others, this man wears silken black dress gloves, as well as a turtleneck underneath his coat. "This is the Intelligence Department's Sephirah, Yesod." Angela continues.

"Welcome to Beacon Academy, Headmaster. You will find that many things have changed since when you graduated from here. I assume you know the intricacies of teaching the world's finest, given you appear qualified already." Yesod coldly states. He says all he needs to say, and returns to his seat.

The next one is a man of green. Tired, crestfallen eyes both jaded in emotion and colour stare back into the Headmaster's thinly brown pupils. Long unkempt green hair match the equally unbuttoned coat and very poorly-tied tie. "In charge of security, this Sephirah is Netzach." Angela either ignores or is accustomed to the AI who, unlike the others, appears unprofessional and unkempt..

Netzach's neutral expression does not change, but he seems to scrunch in an annoyed glare. "Welcome."

The Headmaster tilts his head. "Is something the matter, Netzach?"  
"Nothing at all. I just hope you don't get everyone killed like the last guy." He scoffs before retreating his hands into his packets and sauntering off.

Behind him, the last individual is a woman with noticeably young features, while the others come off as young adults, this one appears to be a late teen. Uncut, but tamed long brunette hair sits atop her head accessorized by two hair clips. A cowlick, however, remains on the top of her head. Her colours are a simple brown. A small timid smile adorns her face. "And this is the Sephirah in charge of the Training Department." Angela finishes the last introduction.

"Hello! I'm Hod! I hope I can be of help, the last Headmaster didn't quite like me very much so I hope I can change that with you! We will help build the warriors tomorrow!"

"I think that is enough, Hod. The introductions have taken much too long after all." Angela orders, causing Hod to stammer a bit but she quiets and returns to her seat.

"I see," The Headmaster exclaims, "well let us get down to business. These departments, they are new to me. Could you care to go further into depth with them?"

"Of course, Headmaster. I will allow each Sephirah to explain their duties."  
"Go on then. And please, just call me Ozpin."

_The Emotions of Man, the most powerful tool._

"Uh, why is the teacher not showing?" A grizzled red-eyed boy with black hair questions. Though his question was answered only by the quiet and slow creaking of a wooden door opening.

"Why is the classroom so far?" A tired looking man in a suit enters the room. It's Netzach, and he looks as equally as haggard as he did back then, if not moreso today. He stands awkwardly at the front of the class, the natural bags under his eyes are perpetual reminder to his exhaustion. "You all know my name, right?" He asks the class in question. "Netzach, at your service...though it's not like it matters."

The class watches him awkwardly, as he sits there with his hands in his pockets. It is the combat class, where the trainees are taught how to deal with other personnel in combat and are usually dueling.

The same red-eyed boy seems to watch him like a predator. "So are you one of the professors in this joint, or do you just stand there and look like shit all day?" He challenges much to the shock of his team and class.

There is a pause. "...Do you have anything else to say?" The Sephirah simply asks after letting the silent colosseum classroom drag on.

"Huh, you look a little dumbfounded. Aren't you supposed to tell me that you are absolutely elated to have been accepted into the prestigious Beacon Academy? I'm glad you didn't, as I simply don't want to hear that." Netzach's pockets are filled with his hands as he clicks his tongue in disappointment. "Here I thought you all would fare better than the last lot. I'll be filling in as combat professor until the substitute comes in. Our previous Combat Professor had an accident and can no longer work with us. Though that's just legal talk for her dying in action." He proceeds to eye the students one-by-one before returning to the upstart boy. "I already know your name, but for pleasantries sake, what is it?"

The red-eyes glare into careless green. "It's Qrow."

_But I think that emotions are naught in the face of destruction itself._

"Professor, just because the Student shows potential, does not excuse them from being moved to the underground!" A the ever-polite Malkuth exclaims happily! She speaks to an ancient woman, the wrinkles upon her face, along with the thinning gray hair are but reminders of mortality to her, a professor. Yet she is armed with wisdom, having been born in time to suffer the effects of post-Great War Remnant.

"I know what happens underneath the campus, Malkuth. Please, try to understand what's at stake here, the boy is troubled. He should not be moved to the lower level curriculum."

"I understand completely, Professor. I was once a problem to the Academy as well. That was a very long time ago, however, and I assure you that with our superior training, Qrow will be a proper Huntsman graduating in the same year as his team!" The Sephirah gestures to her clipboard filled with various inscribed pages, the strange scribbles of an AI are barely legible, yet the childishness is betrayed by the fact that they were, in fact, equations and probabilities, not doodles and stick figures.

The old woman's hysterical face scrutinized the cheery smile and upright bright eyes of the AI. "Don't try to lie to me. I thought what we were doing was for the greater good. But what are we really doing? Training killers? This is a school to train the defenders of tomorrow!"

Malkuth merely responded with a lackadaisical smile, her eyes happily content underneath the lights of the empty classroom.

"Don't you understand that?" She opens her mouth to continue, but the lights shatter underneath a sudden purge of electricity, the melting of the old professor's aura is quick as she collapses to the floor helpless.

"Huh! Sometimes I feel like you treat us more like human beings sometimes. Maybe in another life, you could have been just like me! I hope you understand what I have to do." Malkuth tilts her head as she kneels down to see the terrified and pained expression of an elder in trouble She seems a little lost in thought, nostalgic even, but her attention returns in an instant. "You are so random! The Headmaster always knew of your waning loyalty, though he isn't blind to his mistakes. Having known that entrusting you with the guidance of tomorrow's defenders of Humanity was a mistake as well. That's why I was prepared!"

She flips through her clipboard and begins scribbling another note down, "While you may be old, you are still quite a foe with that aura of yours! Luckily we fabricated new equipment in the campus to handle with insurgencies like you! It seems to be working!" Malkuth states chipperly as she stands back up, before moving to the door. Before she disappears behind it, she peers back into the room, however, to the crippled and dying lady.

"Welp, goodbye now!"

What feels like hours for the decaying professor end when her last sight is a pair of armoured boots stepping to her now lifeless corpse. She recognizes them as the boots of a graduated huntsman she once taught. Her final thoughts were that of betrayal.

_With each iteration, we create unfathomable things for an ulterior motive._

"Ruby Rose." A well-kept greying man asks. In his hands he holds a plate of cookies, and a mug of coffee. He leans towards the person stated, observing her eyes. Dim dwindling light meets shining silver for a few agonizingly silent seconds in the shadowed room. "You have silver eyes." He comments to Ruby's stammering, as he returns to his proper posture.

A few questions were asked, of her qualifications, as he offers the generous helping of treats. Ruby accepts, in the most crude fashion, wolfing down the cookies. "Do you know who I am?" The grey-haired man asks.

"You're Headmaster Ozpin, of Beacon Academy." the girl answers, to the nodding of Ozpin. An offer to the famed Academy was made, and the blooming rose accepts.

_Perhaps victory is in the simpler things that we've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul._

Perhaps it was merely the ruin and devastation of the Great War that stifled the breath of nature. Today was a day that has not been seen in a great many years. The day was alight in a ray of blue, ignorant of the atrocities it shines upon. While the Great War was a long time ago, a quarter of the residential district of Vale is still in ruins, and the occasional scarring stains the occasional forgotten building. The Great War is a distant memory, but the fall of Vale still affects its people to this day.

Regardless of the unusually happy weather, Ruby could not quite contain the anxiety born of the initiation. "Each of you will be given teammates- Today." Headmistress Angela states, causing Ruby's anxiety to trip over itself.

Headmaster Ozpin follows up, "That being said, the next person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years." And now Ruby's anxiety proceeds to flop onto its face. To the breaking of glass, the silent surprise is stifled as the plates they stood atop begun deploying the students.

Each student knew its objective. To find an artifact in an ancient set of ruins, and return back. Though it was a surprise, being launched skyward gets them a good distance, much to the absolute terror of a certain blonde-haired boy. Despite his attempts, Ozpin is adamant and the boy is sent barrelling into the sky, the Headmaster merely takes a sip from his mug.

Minutes pass as the Headmaster and his dutiful assistant watch the students get absorbed by the seemingly endless crowns of trees. Once every single one of them fade from view, Ozpin opens his scroll to open the innumerable amount of CCTV cameras littered about the forest. There was a reason he never expanded into the forest, for it had a value he merely never acknowledged until then.

Lost in thought, he sips his coffee as Angela speaks. "And the last pair has been formed. Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. This year's particular batch is dangerously toeing the line, you know the Atlesian Law of Individuality, Headmaster."

Her brow raises, questioning the Headmaster as he merely "Mms" and watches his scroll, looking to Jaune. As if the Headmistress knew, she comments again "And that Jaune student has clearly faked his transcripts; had you not stopped me, I would have had him arrested. Just what do you plan with these relaxed standards?"

"Trust me, Angela." Ozpin sips his coffee, before continuing "Some things require a more human point of view. You will find that these students have more than enough intrinsic merit to make up for their current...state." Ozpin states calmly. He returns to watching the surveillance. This time, he watches a fine contrast: Weiss, an aristocrat exempt of the law of individuality, meets Ruby, someone who despite wearing the drab gray of Vale fatigues, dons a glaringly huge red hood pinned to her uniform along with various accessories donned because of an inspiration from a dusty old crow..

"Do tell me, Headmaster. Do you dream?" Angela asks, her eyes never opening as she watches the forest with an unseen insight.

"Of course, Angela. Though I can't quite remember them well."

Angela questions more. "What do you see when you close your eyes?"

"Aren't you talkative today. I often see the world as it is, crumbling. An allegory to my failures. Perhaps it will mimic the moon one day."

"Of course," Angela tilts her head as Ozpin's scroll shows Weiss being stolen by a nevermore, "Nobody will remember their dreams. Yet they always remember what they dream for. Do you think I could one day dream?"  
Ozpin cracks a hint of a hint of a smile, as he turns to the Headmistress. Years of work reversing this particular mistake, seemingly paid off. "Perhaps, but you should start by simply calling me Ozpin when formalities are unnecessary." His assistance does not respond. The two return to watching their new students face the grimm.

Though the Grimm were always an issue to be dealt with, after the Great War they only increased in intensity. The standards of the young Huntsmen, formed when Beacon Academy was founded almost 3 scores ago by the first Headmaster, were insufficient to stem the black tide. For every grimm that fell, an entire pack of them would survive and learn. With each passing initiation, more students would perish. With each passing initiation, more students would apply for an academy, the total amount of graduates still increased.

With the Forever Fall being a relatively untouched forest, the Grimm only migrated past it to claw away at the walls of Beacon, or nab unsuspecting travellers. Ozpin watches a few pairs get overwhelmed and torn apart. It pained him, seeing the desperation in their eyes, but they knew this was exactly what they trained for. The fact that he already had certificates of mourning prepped for each parent did not help his pain.

"Your webwork of plans never seems to surprise me, Headmaster Ozpin." Angela interrupts the silence. "The relics have never been chess pieces before." She notes idly, electing not to continue, her staring into the forest never stops. But Ozpin watches some of the students begin rallying around the ruins.

While the ruins themselves are quite old, he had been making use of them for quite some time. This year, however, things may prove different. The world's accumulated emotions have become a tool for those who could use it, after all. For when the blazing yellow of Yang and the shadowed black of Blake set upon the untouched ruin, they were set upon by a peculiar-looking grimm.

Many correlate the striking red eyes to be of Grimm, of hatred, but this one is a humanoid, with wistful blue eyes that glare dismissively. Much like a geist grimm, this one seems shrouded in a black oily fog, only the faint silhouette of its form could be seen. It holds a very large and well-worn musket, leaned against its shoulder.

"Fifty percent of our daily output had been consumed just to get this one to appear here. Are you sure it will even abide by the contract?" Angela asks.

"Even though he is not bound by anything but a mere promise and payment, you must not forget this one is used to following contracts. I see the probability of things going off the rails to be very slim. This one is rather docile, after all."

Yang and Blake stared down the eyes of the fog. "Seems Ozpin forgot to mention the big scary grimm guarding the ruins." Yang attempts to joke.

"What kind of grimm doesn't have bone, or red eyes?" Blake only asks.

Their talk was cut short by the monster merely grumbling, as it readies its gun. The two students spring into action!

The dance begins, with Yang quickly attempting to break the humanoid before it can even react! The stunning right hook whiffs as the silhouette steps to the side. This did not perturb Yang, as she doesn't relent, pulling back her fist, only for the other to return.

A series of quick jabs barely miss the solid shadow and graze only the fumes of its form. Taking a step back, the grimm was only met by the quick slashing of Blake from behind. Blake could feel her sword pass through what felt like liquid as she jumps past the grimm back to Yang's side.

The brief pause allows them both to observe the grimm, seeing through the wound as it is filled in by more of the oily black. They were affecting it, that's good!

Yang quickly dives back into the fray, the quick jabs were only met with even quicker dashes as the grimm fights with a fearfully human style! Though the next strike that Blake made by jumping over Blake was quickly met by something solid. The grimm had moved its firearm from its shoulder, revealing it to be more like an arquebusier holding a gun than a grimm. Blake's blade dug into the aged wood of an ancient pre-dust musket before she is pushed back!

Yang tosses another punch, but the rifle is instantly lowered in time to absorb the blow, a hissing pain is forced into her side, as she is kicked away. Whatever that thing is made out of, it hurt!

The two silently returned to their stance. Taking in the situation, as the grimm held its firearm in both hands, not quite aiming at them, but not quite relaxed.

"Why don't you distract him?" Blake suggests, whereas Yang nods.

The third engagement begins, and Yang once more jumps into brawling range of the creature, her flurry of fists meeting thin air, or the solid gun as she is deflected and expertfully tossed about. In the span of two seconds, this exchange meets Blake diving once more at the grimm from above, the quick deflect of Yang's fist led to the grimm's weapon in the prime position to swipe at Blake, only for her to quickly pop into dusty shadow.

The thin blue eyes of the grimm widen in surprise as Blake punctures its abdomen, though her success is rewarded by being snatched by the face and thrown into Yang, sending them both tumbling away.

After tumbling back to their feet, Blake and Yang's amazement at the being's tenacity is only interrupted by Ruby screaming as she falls. All adversaries look up to see the girl gracelessly fly to the earth, only for a similarly screaming Jaune slams into her, sending them into the nearby treeline.

"Hey look, backup!" Yang cheers. Though her smile falters as an Ursa grimm roars ferociously as it enters the scene. Though she is emboldened by the fact that Nora, another student, had been riding it! The Ursa minor collapses from the accumulated wounds, and Lie Ren clambers over the body, exhausted.

"Oh no, it broke on me!" Nora whines as the ursa grimm begins to ooze into fog, signifying its death.

"Nora," Lie Ren pants between breathes, "don't do that again!" He exclaims.

"Guys, save the chatter! This thing might start actually gunning for us soon!" Yang cracks a pun as the musketeer appears to hold a floating blue bullet in its hand. The bullet glows a dangerously unstable blue, akin to the dim glow of the musketeer grimm's blue eyes. With the bullet out and about, more features of the grimm appear. Blackened military attire covered in a royal blue shawl.

The students quickly formed up and began surrounding the musketeer before engaging, they had numbers so it could not shoot all of them at once in a wide envelopment. It was a good plan, sadly the good plan they had was interrupted by Weiss falling from the sky and unwittingly tackled the musketeer to the ground. Her aura hissed at the extreme toxicity of the musketeer's peculiar perpetual fog.

The recovery is quick, as if the physical shape had merely melted through Weiss and reformed, the musketeer is back on its feet! Weiss quickly rolls away and returns to her feet.

Once Weiss got out of the way, the students engaged once more without a word. Nora leaps into the air and attempts to hammer the beast into submission! Yet as she lands, she marks nothing but meets the butt-end of a rifle to the face.

Ruby, and Lie Ren quickly take this distraction to pepper the creature in bullets. They take care not to shoot their teammates on accident, as Yang nearly lands a gut-shot to the grimm yet it still hits nothing.

It is that this point that Jaune notices something. "Guys! Hit it in different directions! It can't stop multiple directions!" He unsheathes his sword and rushes in as the others acknowledge the plan.

At this point the surrounding is complete. Blake's semblance is shattered as the musketeer back-hands where she should have been, but before the rifle could be brought up to deflect the ninja's blade, a scythe wraps around the muskeeteer's waist and cleaves back to its owner, propelled by a gunshot.

Whatever the effect was, it was not apparent at first, though whether they were effective or not, Lie Ren slides underneath the creature and quickly slices its feet as he passes.

The relentless attack continues as a glyph is formed underneath the musketeer and it launches the gunner into the air only for Nora to leap back up and slam it back down to the cold dirt below.

All of this happened in the span of a few seconds. The apparition, as though melted, seems to wither away, only it snakes through the grass as the students recover from their combo. The musketeer reforms a bit of a ways away, once more holding the strange blue bullet before.

"Careful, he's writing down a bullet point for us!" Yang exclaims, as they all tense up in response to the bullet being loaded into the breech of the gunner's rifle.

Time slowed down as the rifle is aimed and shot towards Jaune.

Jaune closes his eyes. He did not know his lies would get him to here! The loud crack of an outdated gunpowder rifle is heard!

And a deathstalker, rushing into the fray following a very frightened Pyrhha, collapses in its death throes. It drags itself from the momentum to the very back of Jaune's feet.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha's familiar voice shouts. Everyone looks back to her. A fatal mistake in the fields of battle, but when they realize this and look back, the rifleman is gone.

"Hah, he missed!" Weiss shouts, to Ozpin's amusement.

Lie responds. "No. he wasn't even aiming for Jaune…"

"Half of our quota is worth teaching them a lesson. The Freeshooter is not a teacher, or even a good-natured man. But he is a lesson to humanity as a whole." Ozpin finishes.

"This I already know, Ozpin. I was the one who made the report of his existence after all." Angela declares.

Ozpin closes his eyes for a second. "This year will be different, Angela. For once, I feel as though we won't have to throw them away."

"Do not let your emotions control you, Ozpin. They are resources like any other, you must use them or they will use you. The students are returning now. We have teams to make."

"Of course. Of course. Let's get going, they're beginning to scale the cliff as we speak." Ozpin finishes.

_When a hunter received a gun from the devil, the devil proposed a childish contract that the last bullet would puncture the head of his beloved. The moment he heard that, he found and shot everyone he loved. Then he told the devil, "This magical bullet truly can hit anyone you say!" The bullet will puncture anyone he pleases, forever._

_-Der Freisch__ü__tz_


	2. Prologue 2

Qrow was having a rough day. Apart from being officially an unaligned Huntsman and Signal Academy's substitute teacher, as well as unofficially being Beacon's field agent, the crow simply could not get his hands on a drink. Alas, the grizzled man sits on a comically small stool, listening to Ozpin yap-yap about Grimm at his desk. Really the only reason Qrow returned to Vale is so that once Ozpin has given him his new objective he can mosey on over to see Ruby, and Yang, nieces that he has not seen in a while. Then after that, he could go see that one waitress with the very nice che-

"Qrow!" The Headmaster exclaims with a hint of annoyance, throwing the aforementioned drunkard out of his stupor.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm listening. Grimm eating more people, more Grimm in general, Grimm, Grimm, and Grimm." Qrow jabbers quickly mimicking the syllables with his hand to try and mitigate the damage his lack of attention created. The stern look on Ozpin's face told him it worked...maybe.

"Yes, the Grimm have become even more of a problem as of recent, but you clearly did not hear me." Ozpin leans a little over his desk to continue. "Man is not the only creature on this planet evolving, Qrow; I've elected to trust you with these secrets, yes?"

"Of course, Oz. The Queen is lurking in the shadows, plotting doom on everything and everyone. What next, are the Grimm suddenly becoming sentient?" Qrow gives that half-smile as he jests, though it falls flat as Ozpin's eyebrows only deepen in sternness.

"Yes, Qrow. That is exactly what's next." The simple statement ruined what little buzz the drunkard had left. The meeting continues and ends, the crow is sent off to do his duty.

Yes, Qrow was having a fairly shit day, as he internally grumbles. The new objective, he has received. Ozpin has secrets, he knew this, he wasn't dumb. Ozpin is so secretive even his secrets are actually secrets hiding other secrets, but this took the cake. Qrow could not visit his nieces or even Tai because he has a new 'super secret covert ops mission' that only he can accomplish. What is this mission, you may ask? Run deep into the frickin' woods of Atlas and grab some stupid Grimm that has the audacity to be different from the rest of them.

From the brief rundown and explanation, as well as the description and picture saved onto his scroll, Ozpin and his pet secretary, Angela, deduce that the Grimm are evolving due to the ever-increasing amount of emotions caused by the increasing population, but due to the radically different and turbulent emotions, they are changing into more chaotic, more human, beings. The one he has been sent to capture is one that took on the form of an old Atlesian Fairytale. The Freeshooter, or something like that. Qrow couldn't really pronounce the weird little 'U' with the dots in the Atlesian name.

The fairytale basically goes as this. A hunter was hunting during the Great War with his handy gun. He was a poor shot and couldn't bag a single catch. That is until a grimm of notable Darkness came and offered him a gun that would kill anything he desired. The catch was that the gun's last bullet will puncture the head of the thing he most loved, Immediately, the hunter accepted and he immediately shot his wife, his daughter, and everything he loved. He would hold the bullet in his hands, "This gun really hits anyone just like you say!" He says to the Grimm after shooting the final bullet noting that it hit nothing. He turned to the Grimm in disbelief but the Grimm had long left, having devoured all of his soul, and the hunter found himself having become a grimm himself. Just as the grimm said, the bullets kill anything you please, and the hunter, now a grimm himself, could reap souls as he pleased. Some people say he used his magic bullet for good, others say he was no better than Grimm.

A strange story about a strange man. Nevertheless, Qrow has a mission and he needs to carry it out. That's the way it has always been, since back even when he was a kid in the tribe. Flying from branch to branch, the little crow listens, watches, and tracks traces of what exactly is wandering around the forests near the decrepit city of Mantle. The drunkard Huntsman mentally thanks the summer weather, where instead of freezing snow and wind, it's just dry and chilly.

Thinking back on it, Qrow kinda wished Ozpin would do more than just give him a few tips on how to handle these abnormal Grimm. A simple "Don't try to kill them. We have found that killing them only makes them come back in a different and entirely random location. Once they exist, their will to exist overwhelms any logic or law of reality." really doesn't suffice the situation when he's been tasked with hunting down a creature that could very well kill him. It almost makes him wish he could go back to a simpler time where it was just kill Grimm, and arrest the bad guys. The crow lands on the ground, and in the fluttering of black feathers, Qrow is kneeling on the ground, observing a very fine bootprint trail faintly emplaced into the permafrost. Occasionally, it disappears but reappears a few meters away. Wistful phantomlike movement, matches the target.

"Yep, that's definitely humanoid alright. Might as well follow it." He mutters to himself. The normally grumbly man grumbles as he hastily walks in the chilly night. In hindsight, Qrow should have brought more than just a scarf, but he couldn't change it now. The man uncorks a flash to take a sip of the fiery brown before he recalls the appearance of his mark. "Fancy archaic clothes, black wispy gheist-appearance. Glowing blue eyes...General blue-yness about it, and a long musket...or was it a rifle? Bah…" The huntsman grumbles more. The walking continues, and it continues.

His least favorite part of the job is the walking. And this time, Remnant shows no mercy on him, because the tracks lead to nowhere. As if fate was just mocking his efforts, he looks around, his brow furrows in annoyance. With the unfolding noise of a scroll being whipped out and a number being dialed, Qrow simply stands there looking about occasionally.

"Yeah, hey Ange. Look, put Oz on the phone. Yeah it's definitely a status report," the tapping of the toe, he waits, "Oz! What the hell have you got me doing? No don't 'our interests align, and the fates of the peo-' you've literally got me out here chasing fairytales!" The gravelly voice raises a pitch higher, anger boils!

He stands there silently as the soft reply is heard. Useless information is given, and sweet nothings that fool the bird are said, but the crow stops. "Hold on, I see something. Call you back." He pockets the scroll and begins walking forward. The faint harrowing howls of a gheist is heard in the distance.

Walking is terrible, but it pays off eventually. The wispy smoke forming a hazy silhouette of a head. _Yep, that's the target,_ Qrow thought. Ornate jacket from almost a century ago, signature Great War gun, and unique blue eyes and the lack of a bone mask. A Huntsman is the guardian of Humanity, and before him is something so terrible yet so familiar. With the inhumane power of aura, the huntsman, Qrow, leaps his sword quickly unfurling into a scythe. _Subdue, do not kill, but don't be afraid to get rough. Sounds easy, but Gods it is hard. _The scythe immediately wraps around the body of the creature and Qrow immediately wrenches it back to cut, the battle begins!

_Whoosh! Clash! Fwoop!_

The Brother of Light created the Earth, and its nature. Procreation, and proliferation, the plants spread their roots, and the animals bred quickly. The Brother of Dark spread disease, decay, and death to unfurl these lively creations of his elder out of jealousy and hate. Dark would create an evil black splotch of ink on the earth in the form of Grimm. A sick and twisted mockery of Life as seen by Light; like all things made by Dark, it destroys, corrupts, and twists, but it also proliferates, and spreads much like a walking disease would.

_Clank! Crash! Hissssss…._

When they joined together in harmony and created Humanity, the Grimm were a reminder of what Humanity truly can be upon the world. While they create, they can destroy. These Grimm, cousins of Humanity, brothers even, give a rough, painful, and excruciating reminder to Qrow. He was forced back after an extended melee, and the Grimm brought forth its rifle, the demonic blue glyphs form, and the discharge of a bullet echoes loudly through the forest.

For but a few seconds Qrow's consciousness lapses. It was a bit of bad luck that he fumbled with the grip of his scythe, but he was used to it. In the 15 seconds of pitch black, the grizzled man was faced with a question asked by the baby-like face of his niece.

"Why do you always drink from that flask?" The Huntsman bares his teeth in rage... A prognostication.

But Qrow came to, came to the realization he was on the floor and he could barely see the moon over the trees. When he looked down to see the puncture of a bullet wound, his nerves flared back up! Pain had pierced what little aura he had regained in his enforced rest, but the wound had to wait. The huntsman pulled himself up to his feet. On shaky knees, he heard the clicking of a gun. Turning around he faced the creature, its musket primed but no glyphs formed.

"You have a peculiar soul, it isn't like the others here," the ghostly eyes narrow, "that is the only reason you are alive. Your soul was touched by one who wields a power that no other holds."

"Yeah his name is up yours," Qrow responds. He looks around, seeing his scythe discarded some ways away, too far away. He began thinking about an early retirement, but knew that he was too deep in the rabbit hole to climb out.

The wispy shooter scoffs. "Come now, I may not look it, but I'm a man of my word. Either I take what little magic is in your soul, or you will show me the soul that gave you that droplet of the pond. A deal, if you will." The Freeshooter lowers his rifle, knowing that all control is in his hands.  
"Then you're gonna have to take my soul, I ain't giving you nothing."

"Then perhaps you could use some encouragement." The Freeshooter turns and raises his rifle, the glyphs appear and they seem to tear a portal into reality. "When I tore into your body, I tore into your soul. I will now take the thing you love the most from you with my 'semblance,'" the Freeshooter states mockingly.

Qrow's furious eyes turned desperate as he stared into that portal. A young Ruby Rose sleeping in her bed. And the rifle was pointing through that little warp of reality. Qrow was just about to run to grab his scythe until he heard the clicking of the rifle, and it froze his heart and his body. "Okay! Okay! Hold on! Let's make a deal, okay! Just don't - just don't shoot my niece!" The man broke immediately. But his niece lived and the portal closed along with the lowering of the rifle.

"That sounds wonderful. Amazing what a little show can get you in this world, correct?" The expressionless eyes widen so slightly, mimicking an elated expression without a mouth. The formless head, wispy form, ancient belongings, how was this a Grimm?

"Here's the deal. I will take you to the guy, but you can't kill him until his job is complete, okay?"

"And how will I know his job isn't impossible, hm?" The dealer wheels.

"If it was, he would have given up a very long time ago. Listen, is it a deal or not? I'd rather not spend all day bleeding out here."

"I suppose it is a deal then."

Qrow gulped, and extended his hand out. The shake is met, and a deal is forced upon the drunkard. It all happened so fast, he felt like crumpling down and waking up from the nightmare. But it was not a nightmare. At least the deal didn't seem bad.

Intermission Here.

"When I asked you to retrieve this specimen and bring it back to Beacon Academy, I had expected it in a cage, or subdued in any way possible." The Headmaster states his expectations for the mission prior. He sips his coffee as he stares outside the clockwork window of his tower, the highest point in Beacon Academy. A cane is in his hand, a simple tool to guide the elderly, fitting for the greyed and middle-aged man, but unfitting for his upright and tense posture. "While you have brought the grimm back to be studied, you forced an absolutely terrible deal upon me, Qrow." The Huntsman in question is in his office, leaning against a pillar without a care.

"Listen Oz, he had that magic crap pointed at my niece, what else was I supposed to do, let him kill my family without lifting a finger?" A gruff response.

The cane is stomped against the floor to hush the rebelliousness. "Is smoke and mirrors all that it takes to fool my most trusted agent, Qrow?"

There is no response, but the Headmaster turns to look at Qrow in the eye. "The world is crumbling, and we have an opportunity to erase every mistake that Humanity has made, including yours. I don't think need to worry about your niece if she is guaranteed the best life; fruits of our labor, of our success, Qrow. Do you understand that?"  
"Yeah Oz. I do. Won't happen again."

"It won't. You did your best, and I respect that. Go see your family, I will call you if I need you again." Qrow nods and begins walking out, he steps inside the elevator. Ozpin's green-eyed stare is the last thing, in the room, Qrow sees before the door shuts and he goes down Few moments of waiting as he is lowered to the school's ground floor. The elevator opens, and there is Angela. Her nonchalant expression and closed eyes are the norm for Qrow.

"Hey Ang, find a new kid to squeeze the dreams out of?" He jests. Instinctively the Huntsman reaches for the flask latched to his belt, but he stops himself. The secretary notices.

"Quitting the bottle, Qrow? Maybe there is hope for you yet in Tomorrow's world." Angela's lips widen into a sincere smile.

Qrow simply scoffs and budges past her. Angela simply watches him walk away. "You will only find ruin underneath all of those thoughts. Just remember that you and Ozpin both want a fertile world for your family to grow on."

"I knew you would say that." Qrow scoffs and unlatches his flask. The burning brown touches his lips, as Angela enters the elevator. As the door closes, Qrow hears one last set of words.

"Your work is vital for your family. Your sister forgot what mattered most, but you did not." Qrow grimaces, but he could not retort as the elevator had already closed. Delegated to simply watching the elevator go up, Qrow gives a simple "tch" before walking off. He had some nieces to visit after all.

Back above, Headmaster Ozpin remarks. "With each life everything changes so drastically. How am I supposed to do anything when failure is both a stepping stone to both success and ruin?" He stops staring out the window at the flecks of students so far below, and sits down in his chair. Contemplative, he uses the holographic terminal to pull open more reports.

The elevator door opens, the secretary enters. No words were shared, she stands beside him. An examination report appears on the terminal without Ozpin moving a finger. "The Freeshooter is contained successfully. Nobody died in the process, and it has begun producing the desired product." She explains what is in the document. Ozpin's dulled eyes scan every detail for the devil.

"Perfect. For once the grimm don't put up a fight." Ozpin lifts the coffee from his table, it has long-since cooled down but he sips it nonetheless. "What isn't perfect is that my success also means my death according to whatever deal Qrow made with him."

"At this point, I should change my greeting to you. A simple welcome back to Beacon Academy." Angela remarks, a furrow of her brow in a questioning tone, questioning of his authority.

"And that would make it a simpler process, would it not? Regardless, if this year's students produces a nice caste of agents to surpass even Qrow, we should not have to worry about anything. Not even the Queen could oppose us if we keep collecting more of these grimm."

"Are you not worried that she has been doing the same? Humanity, for better or for worse, is incredibly predictable. You two are of no exception."

"I know, Angela. None of my sources have been in contact with her, and every lead has run cold. The Queen is waiting for a moment to strike. Which makes it all the more important that we ready ourselves, no matter the cost."  
Angela gives only a soft smile. "I remember the first time I met you. When I first opened my eyes, I saw nothing more than a scared boy trapped with the destiny of a man. Whether or not you have grown does not matter. What does matter is that you succeed, for that is the only purpose as to why I exist." Angela frowns. Her hands hold together in front of her. "Which is why I must tell you that the Queen has begun moving. The mafia in Vale have begun a disproportionate spree of heists on dust shipments and stores." Ozpin frowns as well, as the hushed news reports begin to appear on his terminal.

"And why is this not on TV?" Ozpin wanted to ask, but Angela beat him to it.

"The Regency Council have either been bought out, or actually did something productive for once. They have announced to coronate a new monarch during the Vytal Festival. An heir apparent has not been disclosed however." The front page news is swamped by pretenders to the kingdom's throne, some even name Ozpin as the successor. Those sources, coincidentally are anonymous. Though our control over the news network has dismissed it as little more than rumour, the council still talks behind doors closed even to you."

"Troubling. It seems I will have to accelerate my plan." He types in a name and a picture of a Ruby Rose from Haven Academy along with her dossier is pulled up. "And I have the perfect candidate to succeed where Qrow has failed." He speaks.

"Qrow will vehemently oppose this."

"I know, but in time he will understand the necessity. Besides, even his failure has led to a boon. I will use that dealmaker grimm to my advantage. Give him a taste of what he was offered, I suppose." Ozpin grows a devious smirk as he uses his cane to hoist himself to his feet. His chair is pushed back and stopped by Angela's soft hand.

"Where is Ruby Rose now, Angela?" He asks, "I have an appointment; it seems her grades are suddenly too satisfactory for measly Haven Academy to teach her. A fine beacon of hope for the people can be made out of this girl, her talents won't be wasted." He states.

The Prologue ends.


End file.
